Books!

Surely, reading is one of the most underrated and undervalued of all pastimes.  When I consider which of my senses I would prefer to lose (if I had to choose), vision would be my very last choice.  A world without books would be a poor and pitiful place for me.  I am continually fascinated by books...that so much can be conveyed through the simple medium of paper and ink.  I love surrounding myself with books...each represents a little treasure.  When I have lots of books waiting to be read (or re-read) I feel very rich indeed.  This morning Liza called  to say "thank you" for recommending a book and to tell me how much she is enjoying it.  When that happens, I know just how the missionaries feel when they find a "golden contact."  So... in the spirit of missionary work...here is what I have been reading lately:

You know I love me some Maeve Binchy.  For me, her books fall into two categories--the great (The Glass Lake, Copper Beech, Circle of Friends, Tara Road...) and the very good (nearly everything else).  "Heart and "Soul" is very good.  Maeve balances several story lines in such a way that I had no trouble keeping them and all the characters straight.  She draws her characters so well that I found myself thinking about them even when not reading.  Interesting stories, happy endings, and likeable characters..a satisfying Irish escape.

M.C. Beaton writes two mystery series; the Hamish Macbeth series and the Agatha Raisin series.  Both feature somewhat flawed (but interesting) lead characters.  "Death of a Valentine" features Hamish Macbeth, a lazy, commitment-phobic constable in a small village in the Scottish Highlands.  I have read all of Beaton's books and find them funny in a dry, sarcastic way which appeals to me.  These are fun, quick reads where the good guys always win.

  This is a first novel by Anna Dean which I took a chance on and loved!  A Victorian era mystery, it is written from the point of view of a witty and plain-spoken spinster lady who is sent to console her broken-hearted niece.   The subtitle is, "The Observations of Miss Dido Kent," leading me to believe (and hope) that it is the first in a series.  The mystery was intriguing, the characters were interesting, and it manages to avoid the traps of  costume/period pieces by never becoming overly sweet or romantic.

This is a second book by author Kate Morton, making me very much want to read her first effort.  THIS IS A WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!  In fact, this was the book that Liza called me about this morning.  I cannot take the credit for discovering this gem--it was recommended to me by Emily who never steers me wrong.  The book weaves three different stories from three different time periods while solving a mystery--how did a three year old child end up on a ship from England to Australia all by herself and who is she?  It starts a little slow, but hang in there.  The final two-thirds of the book will leave you glued to the pages, unable to think about anything else.

Another period piece (we seem to be on a roll here), this one taking place during Edwardian England, just prior to WWI.  Very reminiscent of Anne Perry's William Monk series.  The author, Marjorie Eccles, has written nearly two dozen books, but this one is a stand-alone--not part of a series.  It is set against a backdrop of cultural changes as women are fighting for the right to vote and gaining more independence to go about and do as they wish.  I am nearly finished reading it and like it well enough to look for more Eccles books.

And here is what is sitting on my nightstand, in my waiting- to- be- read queue:

"The Help," by Kathryn Stockett.  Another recommendation from Emily.  She spoke so highly of it that I ordered it on half.com immediately after speaking to her. 

 

 

"This Body of Death," by Elizabeth George.  George is one of my favorite authors.  I can't tell you how excited I am when she writes a new book.  Her lead character is Thomas Lynley, a British aristocrat who renounced his title to join Scotland Yard where he has risen through the ranks.  These are very contemporary books featuring an England very unlike  our romantic assumptions.  The most wrenching book I have ever read was George's "What Came Before Her Shot Her."   The Lynley series has been made into several movies for the BBC which you might enjoy adding to your Netflix queue.  If you read the books (which I recommend highly) you need to do so in order.

"A River in the Sky," by Elizabeth Peters.  Peters writes more than one series and also writes under the name of Barbara Michaels.  This is the latest from her Victorian era series about Egyptologist and mystery-solver Amelia Peabody, her dashing husband, Emerson and their son, Ramses.  Lots of interesting stuff about Egypt and archaeology and written in a swashbuckling vein not unlike Indiana Jones.  These books must be read in order.

"The Black Cat," by Martha Grimes.  Grimes has written a very diverse body of work.  She is an American, but writes the Richard Jury series, all based in England.  This book is from that series.   She has also written some of my favorite non-mysteries (well, they are mysteries but only tangentially), set in the U.S.;  "The End of the Pier," "Hotel Paradise," "Cold Flat Junction," and "Belle Ruin."  These are wonderful books which I frequently loan out to others.  They should be read in the order listed.

Wow!  I didn't intend to do a post today.  I planned on doing yard work, but it has been raining off and on.  And now I've tied everyone up with a long and wordy post.  Shut down the computer and go read a book!